


Mistaken Intentions

by cordeliadelayne



Series: The Parker-Ryans [3]
Category: Primeval
Genre: Community: primeval_denial, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Mistakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29298336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: Ryan makes a mistake that gets him in hot water with Jess.
Relationships: Jess Parker/Tom Ryan (Primeval)
Series: The Parker-Ryans [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2152029
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Mistaken Intentions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fififolle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fififolle/gifts).



> Written for the lovely fififolle's primeval_denial stocking.

“She's going to kill you. She's going to kill you and chop up your body and feed it to a sabretooth.”

Ryan raised his head slightly and tried to glare out of his one unswollen eye. Danny just grinned at him and opened his mouth to say something else when the familiar clomping of very pissed off stilettos came marching down the corridor towards them. Ryan tried to shrink into the medical couch without much success.

“Are you out of your mind?” Jess began. “Are you a Neanderthal? Do you think I'm some sort of weakling that can't look after myself in the workplace. I especially do not need my boyfriend assuming I'm being attacked by one of the most harmless scientists in the building when he's actually saving me from going into anaphylactic shock. I do not need you to HIT SOMEONE because you have decided in your small addled man sized brain that I cannot defend myself from a man putting his hand on my leg. A hand with a bloody great needle in it I may add. What is wrong with you? Do you not trust me, is that it? What happened to building a life together, hmm? Was that just an excuse to tie me to the kitchen sink? You'll be asking me to give up my job next, is that it? Well think again, sunshine. You can sleep on Danny's couch tonight.”

And with that, red faced and slightly out of breath, she spun around and stormed out of the infirmary.

“You're an idiot,” Danny said, suddenly serious.

“I know.”

“Overreacted big time.”

 _”I know._ ”

“What even got into you? You know Jess can handle herself.”

“ _I know._ ” Ryan rubbed carefully at his damaged eye. After he'd seen what he'd assumed was one of the scientists giving Jess unwanted attention what he'd actually wanted to do was just loom at the man's shoulder and ask if everything was all right. What had actually happened was he'd tripped over and knocked into the man which had then turned into him falling to one side as the scientist yelped and twitched away and Ryan ended up giving himself a black eye on the corner of the ADD desk. No one was impressed, least of all himself.

“My couch will do your back in,” Danny said.

“Thanks,” Ryan said. “I didn't – I wasn't going to hit him.”

Danny snorted. “Yeah, I know. Jess will too when she reviews the CCTV. Any other day it would make the Christmas Party – you almost knocking yourself out thanks to your loose shoelaces.”

Ryan stared at his traitorous shoes. He hadn't realised that's what had tripped him up.

“Jess'll be a lot calmer in the morning.”

Ryan nodded. He and Jess had never had a fight, not until now. He'd assumed it would be on the usual couple-y things like leaving wet towels on the bathroom floor or not putting away the dishes, not him making a fool of himself in front of the whole ARC. This was exactly why Lester didn't like him and Jess being in the building at the same time.

And as if he'd conjured him up just by thinking his name, James Lester suddenly appeared in the doorway.

“Suitably chastised, I assume, Captain?”

“Sir,” Ryan said, awkwardly standing up.

“Foolish behaviour. Don't do it again.”

Ryan nodded and Lester left as quickly as he'd arrived.

Danny looked at Ryan and shook his head. “Come on, old man, I'll buy you a Chinese on the way home.”

Ryan flinched at the nickname and tried not to show it.

“Ah, so that's it. I wondered what had got a bee in your bonnet.”

“I'm a lot older than her.”

“Not _that_ much,” Danny said. “I didn't think it bothered you.”

“It didn't.”

“Ah.” Danny knew exactly what had happened. “Well, shouldn't take that to heart.”

Ryan wished he felt the same. Two days earlier a Home Office boffin had made a crack about Ryan being Jess' father and he hadn't been able to shake it off, even after Jess sent the man a virus that shut him out of his mobile for most of the rest of his visit.

“You're not anywhere near old enough to be her father.”

“I feel it, some days,” Ryan said.

“Well, come on, my couch is eager to make you feel even older.”

Danny laughed at his own joke. Ryan remained stubbornly silent.

* * * * *

By the time Ryan had finally admitted that he wasn't going to be able to get a decent night sleep's on the couch from hell he felt like a herd of Stegosaurus had performed a ballet on his back.

Danny walked in, singing softly to himself, and pulled open the curtains, flooding the room with sunlight. Ryan sat up, groaned, flinched and nearly tumbled onto the floor.

“How you feeling now, mate? 'Cause you look godawful.”

“Whatever possessed me to let you join the ARC?”

Danny grinned. “Jenny loves me.”

Ryan sincerely hoped not.

“I'll make a fry up. Sound good?”

“Yeah, thanks. I'll just take a quick shower.”

“Fresh towels by the door,” Danny said and Ryan watched him saunter into his kitchen, whistling as he went. Ryan shook his head. He had no idea how it happened but he was actually glad he could call Danny a friend. Strange times indeed.

* * * * *

He felt marginally better when he was showered, shaved and dressed. Even more so after a thoroughly excellent breakfast.

“Where'd you learn to cook like that?”

“Did a bit of a chef work after I left school and before I decided to join the police. Had this supervisor who really took me under his wing. Good for getting laid too. The ladies love someone who can cook.”

Ryan, ridiculously, felt himself blushing for the first time in decades. Jess' appreciation of his own cooking was apparently well known around the ARC – Jess wasn't shy with her opinions, both good and bad.

Danny winked. “I've got some stuff to do before my shift starts. You all right here for a bit?”

“I'll be fine. Thanks.”

Danny nodded, rummaged around in a drawer until he found the spare house key, and then left Ryan to his own devices.

Ryan diligently started off by doing the washing up then aimlessly started pacing the kitchen and then the living room trying to decide what to do. He didn't want to just turn up at their house and upset Jess any more, but he did want to reassure her that he knew she was capable, more than capable, of looking after herself.

He was jerked out of his maudlin thoughts by a knock at the door. Assuming it was the post he opened it and found Jess standing in front of him. She was dressed down in jeans and one of Ryan's jumpers, no make-up and her hair tied loosely to one side.

Before Ryan could say anything she was stepping forward and kissing him deeply.

Ryan decided not to ruin the moment by saying anything. Jess pulled back and took a deep breath.

“Danny told me to watch the CCTV. I'm still mad at you, but – I can see you didn't actually try to hit Simon. And I made sure he saw it too.”

“Great. Good. Thanks. Is he okay?”

Jess grinned. “He said he was promised weird at the job interview, and weird is what he got.”

Ryan shook his head. “I was only going to – ask him what he was doing, really. I don't – just cause I'm army...”

“I know,” Jess said, interrupting and putting her hands on his arms, moving them up and down and occasionally squeezing his muscles. “You're more than just your biceps.”

Ryan tried to keep a stern expression on his face but couldn't manage it. Jess kissed him again and then he lifted her up in his arms and kicked the door shut with his foot.

“Tom! What are you doing?” Jess giggled.

“Getting Danny to replace his couch.”

Jess started to laugh as Ryan took her into the living room and started kissing her neck as he lowered her down onto the couch that started to groan ominously.

“Tom, we're going to break it!”

“And?”

“And...”

Jess fell silent as Ryan started to suck at her earlobe.

“Yeah,” Ryan said, “that's what I thought.”

* * * * *

By the time Danny came back later that afternoon there was a brand new sofa bed in his living room, bright new cover and duvet included and a bottle of wine on the table. Danny grinned, pulled out his phone, sent the aubergine emoji to Ryan _and_ Jess, and then went on the hunt for a bottle opener.


End file.
